Method and apparatus for providing very high throughput operation and capability signaling for wireless communications

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are disclosed for enabling very high throughput (VHT) communications. A wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) may receive, from an access point (AP), a management frame comprising VHT capabilities information. The VHT capabilities information may comprise an indication of support for reception via non-contiguous channels. The WTRU may transmit, on a condition that reception via non-contiguous channels is supported, at least one data packet, to the AP, via multiple non-contiguous channels. The multiple non-contiguous channels may be used simultaneously.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15,207,230 filed Jul. 11, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/733,226 filed Jun. 8, 2015, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 9,392,524 on Jul. 12, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/197,703 filed Mar. 5, 2014, which issuedas U.S. Pat. No. 9,055,510 on Jun. 9, 2015, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/945,278, filed Nov. 12, 2010, whichissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,711,820 on Apr. 29, 2014, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/260,552, filedNov. 12, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/260,639,filed Nov. 12, 2009, the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This application is related to wireless communications.

BACKGROUND

The earliest version of the IEEE 802.11 standard provided a data rate of1 Mbps. In a subsequent amendment, namely IEEE 802.11b, a physical layerdata rate of 11 Mbps was provided. With the introduction of orthogonalfrequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in the IEEE 802.11g and IEEE802.11a amendments for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands respectively, the datarates supported were increased to 54 Mbps at the physical (PHY) layer.The IEEE 802.11n amendment increased the data rates supported to 100Mbps on top of the MAC layer.

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) with very high throughput (VHT) ofgreater than 100 Mbps on top of the MAC layer are being designed. VHTWLANs may also include features such as multi-user multiple-inputmultiple-output (MU-MIMO) techniques, coding features, power savefeatures, and the like. MU-MIMO technology enables simultaneoustransmission to multiple WTRUs on the same frequency, and alsosimultaneous reception from multiple WTRUs on the same frequency. VHTprotection features for VHT packet transmission and legacy packettransmission will also be needed. In a scenario with densely deployedVHT APs, overlapping basic service set (OBSS) management is necessarybecause of high interference from neighboring BSSes. In a televisionwhite space (TVWS) scenario, independently operated networks/devices,(and even dissimilar networks/devices in radio technology), are expectedto coexist and operate in the same common TVWS frequency spectrum. Theseare just a sample of the features and capabilities needed in VHT WLANs.

SUMMARY

A method and apparatus provide signaling for very high throughput (VHT)operation in VHT wireless local area networks (WLANs). An access point(AP) may control the operation of VHT wireless transmit/receive units(WTRUs) in a basic service set (BSS) by sending VHT operation orcapabilities information. A WTRU may also send VHT operation orcapability information to the AP.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description,given by way of example and to be understood in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A is a system diagram of an example communications system in whichone or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 1B is a system diagram of an example wireless transmit/receive unit(WTRU) that may be used within the communications system illustrated inFIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a system diagram of an example radio access network and anexample core network that may be used within the communications systemillustrated in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 shows the format of an information element (IE).

FIG. 3 shows a wireless communication system/access network.

FIG. 4 shows and example of a functional block diagram of a WTRU and aNode-B of the wireless communication system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows and an example of VHT operation information sent inmanagement frames.

FIG. 6 shows an illustration of VHT operation IE format.

FIG. 7 shows the modification of a neighbor report element to includeVHT operation information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an example of VHT Capabilities Information sentin management frames.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example VHT Capabilities Information Elementformat.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an example modification to a Neighbor ReportElement to include VHT Capabilities Subelement Information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The term “wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU)” includes but is notlimited to a station (WTRU), a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, afixed or mobile subscriber unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a mobile internet device(MID) or any other type of device capable of operating in a wirelessenvironment.

When referred to hereafter, the terminology “AP” includes but is notlimited to a base station (BS), a Node-B, a site controller, or anyother type of interfacing device capable of operating in a wirelessenvironment.

The embodiments are described generally in a WLAN context, but thevarious embodiments may be implemented in any wireless communicationtechnology. Some example types of wireless communication technologiesinclude, but are not limited to, Worldwide Interoperability forMicrowave Access (WiMAX), 802.xx, Global System for Mobilecommunications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA2000),Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution(LTE), or any future technology.

Infrastructure Discussion

FIG. 1A is a diagram of an example communications system 100 in whichone or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. The communicationssystem 100 may be a multiple access system that provides content, suchas voice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, etc., to multiple wirelessusers. The communications system 100 may enable multiple wireless usersto access such content through the sharing of system resources,including wireless bandwidth. For example, the communications systems100 may employ one or more channel access methods, such as code divisionmultiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequencydivision multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrierFDMA (SC-FDMA), and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the communications system 100 may include wirelesstransmit/receive units (WTRUs) 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d, a radioaccess network (RAN) 104, a core network 106, a public switchedtelephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, and other networks 112,though it will be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments contemplateany number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and/or network elements.Each of the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d may be any type of deviceconfigured to operate and/or communicate in a wireless environment. Byway of example, the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d may be configuredto transmit and/or receive wireless signals and may include userequipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, apager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), asmartphone, a laptop, a netbook, a personal computer, a wireless sensor,consumer electronics, and the like.

The communications systems 100 may also include a base station 114 a anda base station 114 b. Each of the base stations 114 a, 114 b may be anytype of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one ofthe WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d to facilitate access to one or morecommunication networks, such as the core network 106, the Internet 110,and/or the networks 112. By way of example, the base stations 114 a, 114b may be a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B, an eNode B, a HomeNode B, a Home eNode B, a site controller, an access point (AP), awireless router, and the like. While the base stations 114 a, 114 b areeach depicted as a single element, it will be appreciated that the basestations 114 a, 114 b may include any number of interconnected basestations and/or network elements.

The base station 114 a may be part of the RAN 104, which may alsoinclude other base stations and/or network elements (not shown), such asa base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relaynodes, etc. The base station 114 a and/or the base station 114 b may beconfigured to transmit and/or receive wireless signals within aparticular geographic region, which may be referred to as a cell (notshown). The cell may further be divided into cell sectors. For example,the cell associated with the base station 114 a may be divided intothree sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, the base station 114 a mayinclude three transceivers, i.e., one for each sector of the cell. Inanother embodiment, the base station 114 a may employ multiple-inputmultiple output (MIMO) technology and, therefore, may utilize multipletransceivers for each sector of the cell.

The base stations 114 a, 114 b may communicate with one or more of theWTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d over an air interface 116, which may beany suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF),microwave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). Theair interface 116 may be established using any suitable radio accesstechnology (RAT).

More specifically, as noted above, the communications system 100 may bea multiple access system and may employ one or more channel accessschemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and the like. Forexample, the base station 114 a in the RAN 104 and the WTRUs 102 a, 102b, 102 c may implement a radio technology such as Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), whichmay establish the air interface 116 using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMAmay include communication protocols such as High-Speed Packet Access(HSPA) and/or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed DownlinkPacket Access (HSDPA) and/or High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

In another embodiment, the base station 114 a and the WTRUs 102 a, 102b, 102 c may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTSTerrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish the air interface116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and/or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A).

In other embodiments, the base station 114 a and the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b,102 c may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.16 (i.e.,Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000,CDMA2000 1×, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), InterimStandard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System forMobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution(EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), and the like.

The base station 114 b in FIG. 1A may be a wireless router, Home Node B,Home eNode B, or access point, for example, and may utilize any suitableRAT for facilitating wireless connectivity in a localized area, such asa place of business, a home, a vehicle, a campus, and the like. In oneembodiment, the base station 114 b and the WTRUs 102 c, 102 d mayimplement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN). In another embodiment, the base station 114 band the WTRUs 102 c, 102 d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yetanother embodiment, the base station 114 b and the WTRUs 102 c, 102 dmay utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE,LTE-A, etc.) to establish a picocell or femtocell. As shown in FIG. 1A,the base station 114 b may have a direct connection to the Internet 110.Thus, the base station 114 b may not be required to access the Internet110 via the core network 106.

The RAN 104 may be in communication with the core network 106, which maybe any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications,and/or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more ofthe WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d. For example, the core network 106may provide call control, billing services, mobile location-basedservices, pre-paid calling, Internet connectivity, video distribution,etc., and/or perform high-level security functions, such as userauthentication. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, it will be appreciatedthat the RAN 104 and/or the core network 106 may be in direct orindirect communication with other RANs that employ the same RAT as theRAN 104 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connectedto the RAN 104, which may be utilizing an E-UTRA radio technology, thecore network 106 may also be in communication with another RAN (notshown) employing a GSM radio technology.

The core network 106 may also serve as a gateway for the WTRUs 102 a,102 b, 102 c, 102 d to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and/orother networks 112. The PSTN 108 may include circuit-switched telephonenetworks that provide plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks anddevices that use common communication protocols, such as thetransmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP) andthe internet protocol (IP) in the TCP/IP internet protocol suite. Thenetworks 112 may include wired or wireless communications networks ownedand/or operated by other service providers. For example, the networks112 may include another core network connected to one or more RANs,which may employ the same RAT as the RAN 104 or a different RAT.

Some or all of the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d in thecommunications system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities, i.e., theWTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d may include multiple transceivers forcommunicating with different wireless networks over different wirelesslinks. For example, the WTRU 102 c shown in FIG. 1A may be configured tocommunicate with the base station 114 a, which may employ acellular-based radio technology, and with the base station 114 b, whichmay employ an IEEE 802 radio technology.

FIG. 1B is a system diagram of an example WTRU 102. As shown in FIG. 1B,the WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, atransmit/receive element 122, a speaker/microphone 124, a keypad 126, adisplay/touchpad 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, apower source 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, andother peripherals 138. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 mayinclude any sub-combination of the foregoing elements while remainingconsistent with an embodiment.

The processor 118 may be a general purpose processor, a special purposeprocessor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), aplurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in associationwith a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine,and the like. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, dataprocessing, power control, input/output processing, and/or any otherfunctionality that enables the WTRU 102 to operate in a wirelessenvironment. The processor 118 may be coupled to the transceiver 120,which may be coupled to the transmit/receive element 122. While FIG. 1Bdepicts the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 as separatecomponents, it will be appreciated that the processor 118 and thetransceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package orchip.

The transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmit signalsto, or receive signals from, a base station (e.g., the base station 114a) over the air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, thetransmit/receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmitand/or receive RF signals. In another embodiment, the transmit/receiveelement 122 may be an emitter/detector configured to transmit and/orreceive IR, UV, or visible light signals, for example. In yet anotherembodiment, the transmit/receive element 122 may be configured totransmit and receive both RF and light signals. It will be appreciatedthat the transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmitand/or receive any combination of wireless signals.

In addition, although the transmit/receive element 122 is depicted inFIG. 1B as a single element, the WTRU 102 may include any number oftransmit/receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 mayemploy MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 mayinclude two or more transmit/receive elements 122 (e.g., multipleantennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over the airinterface 116.

The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate the signals that areto be transmitted by the transmit/receive element 122 and to demodulatethe signals that are received by the transmit/receive element 122. Asnoted above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, thetransceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers for enabling the WTRU102 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as UTRA and IEEE 802.11, forexample.

The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to, and may receiveuser input data from, the speaker/microphone 124, the keypad 126, and/orthe display/touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) displayunit or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit). The processor118 may also output user data to the speaker/microphone 124, the keypad126, and/or the display/touchpad 128. In addition, the processor 118 mayaccess information from, and store data in, any type of suitable memory,such as the non-removable memory 130 and/or the removable memory 132.The non-removable memory 130 may include random-access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storagedevice. The removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identitymodule (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card,and the like. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may accessinformation from, and store data in, memory that is not physicallylocated on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or a home computer (notshown).

The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134, and maybe configured to distribute and/or control the power to the othercomponents in the WTRU 102. The power source 134 may be any suitabledevice for powering the WTRU 102. For example, the power source 134 mayinclude one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd),nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion),etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

The processor 118 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 136, which maybe configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude andlatitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In additionto, or in lieu of, the information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU102 may receive location information over the air interface 116 from abase station (e.g., base stations 114 a, 114 b) and/or determine itslocation based on the timing of the signals being received from two ormore nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 mayacquire location information by way of any suitablelocation-determination method while remaining consistent with anembodiment.

The processor 118 may further be coupled to other peripherals 138, whichmay include one or more software and/or hardware modules that provideadditional features, functionality and/or wired or wirelessconnectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include anaccelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera(for photographs or video), a universal serial bus (USB) port, avibration device, a television transceiver, a hands free headset, aBluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a digitalmusic player, a media player, a video game player module, an Internetbrowser, and the like.

FIG. 1C is a system diagram of the RAN 104 and the core network 106according to an embodiment. As noted above, the RAN 104 may employ anE-UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also be in communicationwith the core network 106.

The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c, though it will beappreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs whileremaining consistent with an embodiment. The eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with theWTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c over the air interface 116. In one embodiment,the eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c may implement MIMO technology. Thus,the eNode-B 140 a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmitwireless signals to, and receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102 a.

Each of the eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c may be associated with aparticular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radioresource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of usersin the uplink and/or downlink, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1C, theeNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b. 140 c may communicate with one another over an X2interface.

The core network 106 shown in FIG. 1C may include a mobility managementgateway (MME) 142, a serving gateway 144, and a packet data network(PDN) gateway 146. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted aspart of the core network 106, it will be appreciated that any one ofthese elements may be owned and/or operated by an entity other than thecore network operator.

The MME 142 may be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 142 a, 142 b, 142 cin the RAN 104 via an S1 interface and may serve as a control node. Forexample, the MME 142 may be responsible for authenticating users of theWTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, bearer activation/deactivation, selecting aparticular serving gateway during an initial attach of the WTRUs 102 a,102 b. 102 c, and the like. The MME 142 may also provide a control planefunction for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown)that employ other radio technologies, such as GSM or WCDMA.

The serving gateway 144 may be connected to each of the eNode Bs 140 a,140 b, 140 c in the RAN 104 via the S1 interface. The serving gateway144 may generally route and forward user data packets to/from the WTRUs102 a, 102 b, 102 c. The serving gateway 144 may also perform otherfunctions, such as anchoring user planes during inter-eNode B handovers,triggering paging when downlink data is available for the WTRUs 102 a,102 b, 102 c, managing and storing contexts of the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b,102 c, and the like.

The serving gateway 144 may also be connected to the PDN gateway 146,which may provide the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access topacket-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitatecommunications between the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and IP-enableddevices. An access router (AR) 150 of a wireless local area network(WLAN) 155 may be in communication with the Internet 110. The AR 150 mayfacilitate communications between APs 160 a, 160 b, and 160 c. The APs160 a, 160 b, and 160 c may be in communication with WTRUs 170 a, 170 b,and 170 c.

The core network 106 may facilitate communications with other networks.For example, the core network 106 may provide the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b,102 c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, tofacilitate communications between the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c andtraditional land-line communications devices. For example, the corenetwork 106 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway, (e.g.,an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server), that serves as an interfacebetween the core network 106 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the corenetwork 106 may provide the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access to thenetworks 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks thatare owned and/or operated by other service providers.

FIG. 2 shows an information element (IE) 160 in a medium access control(MAC) frame for the purpose of transferring information. A first fieldof the IE is an element identity (ID) field 165 that contains an IDspecific to the IE. This is followed by a length field 170 that containsthe length of the IE. The length field 170 is followed by a variablenumber of fields 175 ₁, 175 ₂, . . . , 175 _(n) specific to the IE 160.

FIG. 3 shows a wireless communication system 200 including a pluralityof WTRUs 102, a Node-B 140, a controlling radio network controller(CRNC) 145, a serving radio network controller (SRNC) 147, and a corenetwork 150.

As shown in FIG. 3, the WTRUs 102 are in communication with the Node-B140, which is in communication with the CRNC 145 and the SRNC 147.Although three WTRUs 102, one Node-B 140, one CRNC 145, and one SRNC 147are shown in FIG. 3, it should be noted that any combination of wirelessand wired devices may be included in the wireless communication system200.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a WTRU 102 and the AP 140 of thewireless communication system 200 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, theWTRU 102 is in communication with the Node-B 120 and both are configuredto perform a method and apparatus for providing very high throughputoperation signaling for WLANs.

In addition to the components that may be found in a typical WTRU, theWTRU 102 includes a processor 115, a receiver 121, a transmitter 117, amemory 113 and an antenna 119. The memory 113 is provided to storesoftware including operating system, application, etc. The processor 115is provided to perform, alone or in association with the software, amethod and apparatus for providing very high throughput operationsignaling for WLANs. The receiver 121 and the transmitter 117 are incommunication with the processor 115. The antenna 119 is incommunication with both the receiver 121 and the transmitter 117 tofacilitate the transmission and reception of wireless data.

In addition to the components that may be found in a typical basestation, the AP 140 includes a processor 125, a receiver 131, atransmitter 127, and an antenna 129. The processor 125 is configured toperform a method and apparatus for providing very high throughputoperation signaling for WLANs. The receiver 131 and the transmitter 127are in communication with the processor 125. The antenna 129 is incommunication with both the receiver 131 and the transmitter 127 tofacilitate the transmission and reception of wireless data.

A wireless local area network (WLAN) in infrastructure basic service set(BSS) mode has an access point (AP) for the BSS and one or more wirelesstransmit/receive units (WTRUs) associated with the AP. The AP may haveaccess or interface to a distribution system (DS) or another type ofwired/wireless network that carries traffic in and out of the BSS.Traffic sent to WTRUs that originates from outside the BSS, arrivesthrough the AP and is delivered to the WTRUs. Traffic originating fromWTRUs to destinations outside the BSS is sent to the AP to be deliveredto the respective destinations. Traffic between WTRUs within the BSS mayalso be sent to through the AP where the source WTRU sends traffic tothe AP, and the AP delivers the traffic to the destination WTRU. Suchtraffic between WTRUs within a BSS is peer-to-peer traffic. Suchpeer-to-peer traffic may also be sent directly between the source anddestination WTRUs with a direct link setup (DLS), such as that describedin IEEE 802.11e regarding DLS or IEEE 802.11z regarding tunneled DLS.

VHT Operation Information

In VHT WLANs, certain VHT features in medium access control (MAC) andphysical layers may be needed. These VHT features may be specific to theVHT WLANs being designed for data rates in excess of 100 Mbps on top ofthe MAC layer. A given VHT feature may have more than one parameter andoption associated with it. Moreover, the feature parameter may take morethan one value. Sometimes, the VHT feature itself may be optional. As aresult, there could be more than one mode of operation for a VHT AP orVHT WTRU in an infrastructure BSS, based on the chosen feature optionand parameters. This may be due to the different implementations of VHTAP and VHT WTRUs. This may, however, be true even if all VHT WTRUs havean identical implementation because of the different feature options andparameters chosen. So the VHT AP may be able to set the VHT features,VHT feature options, and VHT feature parameters in a dynamic way for theBSS operation to adapt to various operation scenarios.

By sending VHT operation information to the WTRUs in the BSS, a VHT APmay control the VHT WTRU's operation in the BSS and allow adaptation tovarious operation scenarios. These various operation scenarios may arisefor example due to different traffic types, traffic loads or quality ofservice (QoS) requirements. For instance, in one scenario, a legacyWTRU, (i.e., a non-VHT WTRU from older technology), may associate withthe BSS, and the VHT AP will need to indicate this as part of the VHToperation information so that VHT WTRUs will operate in a manner so asto coexist with the legacy WTRU.

The VHT operation information may be included by a VHT AP, in any new orexisting management/control/data frames like in management frames suchas the beacon, secondary/auxiliary beacon, or probe response frames.

FIG. 5 shows an example of VHT operation information sent in managementframes. The VHT WTRU 500 sends an Association Request Frame 504 to theVHT AP 502. The association request frame 504 enables the access pointto allocate resources for and synchronize with a WTRU. This associationrequest frame 504 carries information about the WTRU (e.g., supporteddata rates). After sending an acknowledgement 506, the VHT AP 502 sendsan association response frame 508 containing VHT operation information,such as that described in detail in Table 1 below. The associationresponse frame 508 may also contain an acceptance or rejection notice tothe WTRU 500 requesting association. If the access point 502 accepts theWTRU, the response frame 508 includes information regarding theassociation, such as association ID and supported data rates. Aftersending an acknowledgement 510, the VHT WTRU 500 may adjust itsoperating mode 512.

The VHT operation information may be formatted as a newly defined VHToperation IE. FIG. 6 shows a structure of such a VHT operation IE. Theelement ID field 565 of the VHT operation IE has a newly defined valuespecifically for the VHT operation IE. The length field 570 contains thelength of the VHT operation IE following the length field 570 or thetotal IE length. The fields 575 in the VHT operation IE, following theelement ID field 565 and length field 570, may contain some or all ofthe VHT operation information described later. For example, in FIG. 6,there are “n” such fields. Note that one may choose any specific mappingof these fields to the VHT operation information and several mappingsare possible and allowed within the scope of this invention.

The VHT AP controls the operation of VHT WTRUs in a BSS by using a VHToperational IE. The VHT operation IE may be included by an AP, in anynew or existing management/control/data frames, especially in managementframes such as the beacon, secondary/auxiliary beacon, or probe responseframes.

The VHT operation information or VHT operation IE may includeinformation related to one or more VHT operation information items fromTable 1 below. The VHT operation information may include parameters,options, and operation indication for each VHT operation informationitem in Table 1.

TABLE 1 VHT Operation Information items Description VHT Primary ChannelChannel number of channel considered as the primary channel (i.e. commonchannel of operation for all VHT devices in the VHT BSS) by the VHT APin the BSS. Secondary Channel Offsets Depending on the bandwidth of(relative to the VHT primary operation (20/40/80 MHz), there maychannel) for one or more be one or more secondary channels for secondarychannels (for 20/ the VHT BSS operation. An example of 40/80 MHz totalbandwidth) the possible secondary channel configurations andcorresponding values (note that the exact numerical value may be chosenflexibly from the currently unused values within the range from 0 to255) for the Secondary Channel Offset field corresponding to the VHT 80MHz bandwidth transmission, VHT 40 MHz bandwidth transmission and VHTMulti-channel transmission is shown in Table 2, below. In oneembodiment, the modified Secondary Channel Offset field which includesvalues for secondary channel configurations supporting VHT 80 MHzbandwidth transmission, VHT 40 MHz bandwidth transmission and VHTMulti-channel transmission may be included in: (1) the beacon, proberesponse, association response, and reassociation response frames sentby the AP or an WTRU in an Independent BSS (2) a VHT Operation IEincluded in frames sent by an AP or an WTRU in an Independent BSS (3)Channel Switch Announcement (Action) frame sent by the AP or an WTRU inan Independent BSS (4) a VHT Capabilities IE included in frames sent byan AP or an WTRU. VHT WTRU channel widths The VHT BSS may support thatmay be used to transmit to transmission in more than one WTRUs bandwidthfor example 20/40/80 MHz. RIFS mode support in VHT Reduced inter framespace (RIFS) communication mode may be supported in the VHT BSS toincrease medium usage efficiency. Protection requirements In VHT WLANsthere need to be indication for transmission of protection requirementsfor VHT VHT packets transmissions to account for various scenarios suchas: (1) various bandwidths of operation (2) devices of differentcapabilities etc. Non-Greenfield VHT WTRUs When VHT WTRUs that are notVHT- present indication Greenfield capable are present then appropriateprotection mechanisms should be used for VHT transmissions that use theVHT-Greenfield format. Overlapping BSS (OBSS) Non- When OBSS Non-VHTWTRUs are VHT WTRUs present indication present then VHT-Greenfieldtransmissions should not be allowed in the BSS. Multiple Beacontransmission Multiple beacons may be transmitted indication in a VHT BSSfor example VHT space- time block code (STBC) beacon in addition to theregular beacon. Multiple clear-to-send (CTS) Multiple CTS protection maybe used protection usage indication to set network allocation vector(NAV) hen there exist VHT devices with different physical layertechnologies,(e.g., STBC and non- STBC),that need protection for theirpackets. VHT STBC Beacon indication Indication whether the beaconcontaining this field is a VHT STBC beacon or not. Legacy ProtectionFull Support Indicates whether all the VHT WTRUs in the VHT BSS in theBSS support legacy signal protection mechanisms (e.g., L-SIGtransmission opportunity (TXOP)). VHT phased coexistence Indicateswhether VHT PCO (where operation (PCO) active the VHT AP divides timebetween 20/40/80 MHz bandwidth operation) is active in the BSS. VHT PCOPhase Indicates which VHT PCO phase is in operation (e.g., 20/40/80 MHzphase). Basic MCS Set for VHT Basic modulation and coding scheme (MCS)set is the set of MCS values that are supported by all VHT WTRUs in theBSS. Power Control for VHT in use Indicates that the power controlmechanisms for VHT are in use in the BSS. Indication of orthogonal OFDMAmay be employed in VHT frequency division multiple WLAN by makingchannel/sub-carrier access (OFDMA) in use assignments for traffic/users.Indication of frequency reuse Frequency reuse mechanisms may bemechanisms employed to coexist with neighboring VHT APs/OBSSs An exampleis increasing spectrum efficiency by reusing some frequencies from thefrequency spectrum more often for WTRUs closer to the AP. This mayalleviate the spectrum scarcity problem in densely deployed VHT APs,(i.e., interfering neighboring/overlapping BSSs). Indication of OBSS VHTWLANs will have to adopt management Overlapping BSS coping mechanisms todeal with the excessive channel reuse and interference in scenarios withdensely deployed VHT APs. Indication of coexistence VHT WLANs will needAPs/WTRUs to mechanisms support parameters, rules, policies, mechanismsand regulatory information for coexistence (e.g., inter- BSS,inter-system or television white space (TVWS)).

TABLE 2 Secondary channel configurations. Value Description 0 Indicatesthat no secondary channel is present (just 20 MHz). 1 Indicates that thesecondary channel is above the primary channel (for 40 MHz). 2 Not used.3 Indicates that the secondary channel is below the primary channel (for40 Hz). Any unused Indicates 3 secondary channels immediately above thevalue from 0 to primary channel (80 MHz bandwidth formed by 4 256(flexible) contiguous 20 MHz channels). Any unused Indicates 3 secondarychannels immediately below the value from 0 to primary channel (80 MHzbandwidth formed by 4 256 (flexible) contiguous 20 MHz channels). Anyunused Indicates 2 secondary channels immediately above the value from 0to primary channel and 1 secondary channel immediately 256 (flexible)below the primary channel (80 MHz bandwidth formed by 4 contiguous 20MHz channels). Any unused Indicates 1 secondary channel immediatelyabove the value from 0 to primary channel and 2 secondary channelsimmediately 256 (flexible) below the primary channel (80 MHz bandwidthformed by 4 contiguous 20 MHz channels). Any unused Indicatesconfiguration of positions of each of the 3 value from 0 to secondarychannels relative to the primary channel 256 (flexible) where the 80 MHzbandwidth is not formed by 4 contiguous 20 MHz channels. Many suchconfigurations are possible and each may have a value associated withit. Any unused Indicates configuration of the position of the secondaryvalue from 0 to channel relative to the primary channel where a 40 256(flexible) MHz bandwidth is not formed by 2 contiguous 20 MHz channels.Many such configurations are possible and each may have a valueassociated with it. Any unused Indicates configuration of secondarychannels for VHT value from 0 to Multi-channel transmission relative tothe primary 256 (flexible) channel. Many such configurations arepossible and each may have a value associated with it. Remaining up Notused. to 255

The VHT operation information or VHT operation IE may be included insignaling messages, such as a fast transition (FT) action request frameand an FT action response frame. The VHT operation information or VHTOperation IE may be included in signaling such as measurement pilotframe, AP channel request element, AP channel report element, neighborreport element, neighbor report request frame, a neighbor reportresponse frame.

The optional subelements of the neighbor report element can include aVHT operation element (with the same format as the VHT operation IE) forthe neighbor AP (being reported) with a subelement ID assigned to it.These modifications to the neighbor report element are shown in FIG. 7.Following the element ID 765, the length field 770 is variable anddepends on the number and length of optional subelements. Each reportelement may describe an AP and consists of BSSID 775, BSSID Information780, Regulatory Class 785, Channel Number 790, PHY Type 795, and mayinclude optional subelements 800. The BSSID 775 may be the BSSID of theBSS being reported. The subsequent fields in the Neighbor Report Elementpertain to this BSS. The BSSID Information field 780 may be used to helpdetermine neighbor service set transition candidates.

The VHT operation information or VHT operation IE may be included inIEEE 802.11v signaling such as BSS transition managementquery/request/response frames.

The current VHT operation information may contain one or more bits torepresent any of the VHT operation information, along with the HToperation information in a given frame.

VHT Capability Information

A given VHT feature may have more than one parameter and/or optionassociated with it. Moreover, the feature parameter may represent morethan one value. The VHT feature itself may be optional. This may giverise to more than one mode of operation for a VHT AP or VHT WTRU, basedon the chosen feature option and/or parameters.

Similarly, due to the optional features, more than one possibleimplementation of a VHT WTRU and a VHT AP may exist. This may give riseto a situation where a VHT AP or VHT WTRU supports a certain set offeatures and/or parameters, while another VHT AP or VHT WTRU supports adifferent set of features and/or parameters. Therefore, each VHT AP orVHT WTRU may advertise its capabilities, for example, a set of featuresand/or parameters, in order to establish a communication link. There maybe negotiation of acceptable capabilities during the communication linksetup based on the capabilities of the VHT devices (VHT APs and/or VHTWTRUs) involved in the communication link.

VHT WTRUs in an Infrastructure BSS, Independent BSS/Ad hoc, or DirectLink Setup scenario may indicate VHT capabilities. In an InfrastructureBSS scenario, VHT APs may indicate VHT capabilities as well.

The AP and WTRUs may indicate VHT capabilities information, in any newor existing management/control/data frames, for example, in managementframes such as Association, Reassociation, Probe or Beacon frames. TheVHT capabilities information may be added to existing IEs, for example,802.11 Capabilities IEs. Alternatively, the VHT capabilities informationmay be carried in a newly defined Capabilities IE.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an example of VHT capabilities informationexchange between a VHT AP or WTRU1 602 and a VHT WTRU2 600. The VHTWTRU2 600 sends an action request frame 604 containing VHT capabilitiesinformation to the VHT AP or WTRU1 602. The VHT AP or WTRU1 602 returnsan ack frame 606, or optionally not in response to a broadcast or“action no ack” message. The VHT AP or WTRU1 602 responds with amanagement frame/action response frame 608 containing VHT capabilitiesinformation to the VHT WTRU2 600. The VHT WTRU2 600 may return an ackmessage 610 unless the message was a broadcast or action no ack message.

In one embodiment, the VHT capabilities information may be formatted asa VHT Capabilities IE. FIG. 9 shows the structure of an example VHTCapabilities IE. The Element ID 665 of the VHT Capabilities IE may havea newly defined value specifically for the VHT Capabilities IE. TheLength field 670 may contain the length of the VHT Capabilities IEfollowing the Element ID field 665. The fields 675 in the VHTCapabilities IE, following the Element ID 665 and Length fields 670 maycontain some or all of the VHT capabilities information described below.For example, in FIG. 9 there are “n” such fields. Note that any specificmapping of these fields to the VHT capabilities information may bechosen and several mappings may be possible.

The VHT Capabilities IE may be included by an AP or WTRU, in any new orexisting management/control/data frames, for example, in managementframes such as the Beacon, secondary or auxiliary beacon, AssociationRequest, Association Response, Reassociation Request, ReassociationResponse, Probe Request or Probe Response frames.

The VHT capabilities information or VHT Capabilities IE may includeinformation related to one or more VHT capabilities information itemsfrom Table 3. The VHT Capabilities information may include parameters,options and capabilities indication for each VHT CapabilitiesInformation item in Table 3.

TABLE 3 VHT Capabilities Information items Description Codingcapabilities for VHT Higher rate coding, coding algorithms WLAN may beemployed for VHT WLAN to enhance performance such as throughput androbustness. Supported channel width set The VHT WLAN may support variousfor VHT WLAN channel widths for eg. 20/40/80 MHz. Transmissioncapabilities for Multiple channels may be used non-contiguous channelsfor simultaneously for communication, for communication example, two 40MHz channels that are not contiguous. An example of the possiblesecondary channel configurations and corresponding values (note that theexact numerical value may be chosen flexibly from the currently unusedvalues within the range from 0 to 255) for the Secondary Channel Offsetfield corresponding to the VHT 80 MHz bandwidth transmission. VHT 40 MHzbandwidth transmission and VHT Multi-channel transmission is shown inTable 2 above. In one embodiment, the modified Secondary Channel Offsetfield which includes values for secondary channel configurationssupporting VHT 80 MHz bandwidth transmission, VHT 40 MHz bandwidthtransmission and VHT Multi-channel transmission may be included in: (1)the beacon, probe response, association response, and reassociationresponse frames sent by the AP or an WTRU in an Independent BSS (2) aVHT Operation IE included in frames sent by an AP or an WTRU in anIndependent BSS (3) Channel Switch Announcement (Action) frame sent bythe AP or an WTRU in an Independent BSS (4) a VHT Capabilities IEincluded in frames sent by an AP or an WTRU. Reception capabilities forMultiple channels may be used non-contiguous channels for simultaneouslyfor communication, for communication example, two 40 MHz channels thatare not contiguous. See also, notes above regarding Transmissioncapabilities for non-contiguous channels for communication. Transmissioncapabilities for The multiple channels that are non asynchronouscommunication contiguous used for transmission over non-contiguouschannels simultaneously with data flow on the channels beingasynchronous. Reception capabilities for The multiple channels that arenon- asynchronous communication contiguous may be used for transmissionover non-contiguous channels simultaneously with data flow on thechannels being asynchronous. Power Saving capabilities for With varioustypes of devices and VHT WLAN applications on VHT WLANs there may be aneed for suitable power saving mechanisms. VHT Greenfield capabilitiesDuring Greenfield operation (i.e. no indicating support for legacydevices and only VHT devices reception of packets with being present)the packets may be VHT Greenfield format allowed to be transmitted in aGreenfield format (i.e. with efficient preambles designed for VHTpackets). Short GI support for reception The VHT WLAN may support 80 MHzof packets transmitted with a bandwidth transmissions with a short 80MHz bandwidth Guard Interval in the Physical Layer. TransmitCapabilities for VHT WLAN may use Space Time Block VHT STBC packetsCoding (STBC) mechanisms to increase throughput. Receive Capabilitiesfor VHT WLAN may use STBC mechanisms VHT STBC packets to increasethroughput. Block Ack Capabilities for For VHT WLANs Block VHT WLANAcknowledgement (Note: A Block Ack acknowledges the reception of a Blockof packets) mechanisms may be needed for multi-user aggregation in theuplink; multi-user aggregation in the downlink; multi-user MIMO in theuplink; multi- user MIMO in the downlink. Maximum multi-user VHT WLANsmay need to support aggregation packet length multi-user packetaggregation mechanism to increase data throughput. Indication of use ofDSSS/ VH WLANs the BSS may allow (or not CCK mode in a 80 MHz allow)direct sequence spread spectrum BSS operation (DSSS) and complementarycode keying (CCK) modes of operation in 80 MHz BSS operation. An WTRUmay (or may not use DSSS/CCK modes of operation in 80 MHz. 80 MHzIntolerant indication A VHT WTRU may indicate this to prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 80 MHz mode. 40 MHzIntolerant indication A VHT WTRU may indicate this to prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 40 MHz mode. 20/80 MHzIntolerant A VHT WTRU may indicate this to indication prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 20/80 MHz mode. 20/40 MHzIntolerant A VHT WTRU may indicate this to indication prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 20/40 MHz mode. 20/40/80 MHzIntolerant A VHT WTRU may indicate this to indication prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 20/40/80 MHz mode. 40/80 MHzIntolerant A VHT WTRU may indicate this to indication prevent thereceiving VHT AP from operating the BSS in 40/80 MHz mode. LegacyProtection support Legacy devices (i.e. based on 802.11 in VHT WLANstandard prior to VHT WLAN) operation may be supported using legacysignal protection mechanisms. Packet Aggregation VHT devices may havedifferent parameters for VHT WLAN capabilities to receive VHT packetaggregation such as: (1) maximum length of a multiuser packetaggregation and/or (2) minimum time separation between aggregatedpackets for proper reception. Supported MCS set for VHT Higher MCSs(Modulation and Coding WLAN Schemes) may be used in VHT WLANs than inlegacy systems for higher throughput. Capabilities to provide VHT MCSesmay be used in VHT WLANs MCS Feedback for VHT which may requirecorresponding WLAN feedback from receiver to transmitter. Support forVHT Phased VHT WLAN BSS may adopt a VHT coexistence of 20/40/80 MHzPhased Coexistence Operation where and combinations of these the VHT APmay divide time between bandwidths 20/40/80 MHz bandwidth operation.Note that all possible combinations may be considered, for example,20/40/80 GHz, 40/80 GHz, 20/80 MHz, 20/40 MHz. The AP may switch the BSSoperation amongst the chosen bandwidths (i.e., 20/40/80 MHz phases) forphased coexistence operation. VHT PCO Transition Time Time duration forswitching between communication bandwidths, for example, from 40 MHz to80 MHz in PCO operation. VHT Control field support May indicate supportof the Very High Throughput Control field which may be used for sendingVHT Control information and may be included in data/control/managementframes. VHT Reverse Direction The existing Reverse Direction protocolprotocol Responder (for an initiator device to grant a part ofcapabilities its transmit opportunity to a responder device) may beextended for VHT operation, for example, in a Multi-user MIMO scenario.For example in Downlink (AP to WTRU) MU-MIMO where AP communicates withseveral WTRUs at the same time, the AP may grant Reverse Directiontransmission time to one or more of the WTRUs following the APtransmission. This grant of transmission time by the AP will be withinthe transmit opportunity (TXOP) duration that it has under its control.VHT Transmit Beamforming Transmit beamforming features forCapabilities/parameters VHT WLAN may be needed for example in Multi-userMIMO operation. VHT Antenna Selection Antenna Selection features for VHTCapabilities/parameters WLAN may be needed for example in Multi-usertransmit/receive operation. Power Control for VHT Power control may beneeded in VHT WLAN capabilities/ WLAN in many scenarios such as: (1)parameters Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference reduction(2) Uplink Multiuser MIMO. Since the WTRUs will transmit simultaneouslyon the Uplink MU-MIMO it will benefit the receiver if the received powerlevels at the AP are not too disparate so that all of the WTRUs may bereceived with adequate quality. In order to achieve this the transmitpower levels of the WTRUs may have to be adjusted based on theirlocation and channel conditions. Downlink Multi-user MIMO DownlinkMulti-user MIMO may be capabilities/parameters needed in VHT WLAN toincrease downlink throughput. Uplink Multi-user MIMO Uplink Multi-userMIMO may be needed capabilities/parameters in VHT WLAN to increaseuplink throughput. Capabilities for Ranging The AP may process receivedranging signaling for power control signaling from a WTRU to recommendto the WTRU a transmit power adjustment, for example, in an uplinkMultiuser MIMO scenario. Capabilities for Ranging The AP may processreceived ranging signaling for synchronization signaling from a WTRU torecommend to the WTRU a transmit timing offset adjustment, for example,in an uplink Multiuser MIMO scenario. Since the WTRUs will transmitsimultaneously on the Uplink MU-MIMO it will benefit the receiver if thereceived signals at the AP are synchronized so that all of the WTRUs maybe received with adequate quality. In order to achieve this the transmittimes of the WTRUs may have to be adjusted based on their location andchannel conditions. Capabilities for OFDMA in OFDMA may be employed inVHT VHT WLAN WLAN by performing channel/sub- carrier assignments fortraffic/users. Capabilities for frequency Frequency reuse mechanisms maybe reuse mechanisms employed to coexist with neighboring VHT APs/OBSSsAn example may be increasing spectrum efficiency by reusing somefrequencies from the frequency spectrum more often for WTRUs closer tothe AP. This may alleviate the spectrum scarcity problem in denselydeployed VHT APs (i.e., interfering Neighboring/Overlapping BSSs).Capabilities for Dynamic Due to interference from Overlapping FrequencySelection BSS or neighboring BSS VHT APs and VHT WTRUs may selectfrequencies for operation in a dynamic way. Capabilities for VHT ChannelVHT APs and VHT WTRUs may switch Switching channels. Capabilities forVHT Channel VHT APs and VHT WTRUs may switch Switching and Bandwidthchannels and bandwidths which may be switching 20/40/80 MHz wide.Capabilities for VHT Link Link Adaptation mechanisms may be Adaptationsupported for VHT WLANs in scenarios such as: (1)Multi-channeltransmission (2) Multiuser MIMO. Capabilities for VHT VHT Channel StateInformation (CSI) Channel State Information feedback mechanisms may besupported (CSI) feedback for VHT WLANs in scenarios such as: (1)Multi-channel transmission (2) Multiuser MIMO. Capabilities for VHT VHTChannel sounding mechanisms Channel sounding may be supported for VHTWLANs in scenarios such as: (1)Multi-channel transmission (2) MultiuserMIMO. Capabilities for OBSS VHT WLANs may adopt Overlapping managementBSS coping mechanisms to deal with the excessive channel reuse andinterference in scenarios with densely deployed VHT APs. Capabilitiesfor VHT VHT WLANs may need an AP/WTRU to Frequency reuse be able toreceive VHT frequency reuse mechanisms information of neighboring BSSsand transmit VHT frequency reuse information of its BSS. Capabilitiesfor VHT VHT WLANs may need WTRUs/APs to Channel Scanning be able to scanthe channels in the spectrum to make measurements according to specifiedVHT information/parameters for channels and channel bandwidths.Capabilities for Coexistence VHT WLANs may need APs/WTRUs to supportparameters, rules, policies, mechanisms and regulatory information forcoexistence (for example, inter-BSS, inter-system or Television WhiteSpace(TVWS)). Some of the mechanism may include sharing of informationamongst BSSs on channel usage.

The VHT capabilities information or VHT Capabilities IE may be includedin signaling messages, such as a Fast Transition (FT) action requestframe and an FT action response frame. The VHT capabilities informationor VHT Capabilities IE may also be included in signaling such asmeasurement pilot frame, AP channel request element. AP channel reportelement, neighbor report element, neighbor report request frame, aneighbor report response frame.

In one embodiment, the BSSID IE in the Neighbor Report element may haveone or more bits indicating VHT. When the BSSID IE is set to a givenvalue, the AP represented by the indicated BSSID may be a VHT AP thathas contents of its VHT Capabilities element identical to that of the APsending the Neighbor Report element. In addition, the optionalsubelements of the Neighbor Report element may include a VHTCapabilities element (with the same format as the VHT Capabilities IE)for the neighbor AP being reported with a new subelement ID assigned toit.

These modifications to the Neighbor Report Element are shown in FIG. 10.Following the element ID 865, the length field 870 is variable anddepends on the number and length of optional subelements. Each reportelement may describe an AP and consists of BSSID 875, BSSID Information880, Regulatory Class 885, Channel Number 890, PHY Type 895, and mayinclude optional subelements 900. The BSSID 875 may be the BSSID of theBSS being reported. The subsequent fields in the Neighbor Report Elementmay pertain to this BSS. The BSSID Information field 880 may be used tohelp determine neighbor service set transition candidates.

The VHT capabilities information or VHT Capabilities IE may be includedin signaling such as BSS Transition Management Query/Request/Responseframes. The VHT capabilities information or VHT Capabilities IE may beincluded in any direct link setup (DLS), for example, tunneled DLS(TDLS) frames. For example, the VHT Capabilities IE may be included inthe TDLS setup request/response frames. It may also be included in theDLS setup request/response frames.

In one embodiment, the 802.11 high throughput (HT) capabilitiesinformation may contain one or more bits to represent any of the VHTcapabilities information in Table 3 along with the HT capabilitiesinformation in a given frame.

Many other variants are possible. A few variants may be generated bymerely changing the order of newly added fields in the frame/messageformats. Other variants are possible, by using only some of the fieldsproposed. It should be fully appreciated and noted that all suchvariants are within the scope of this invention.

Although features and elements are described above in particularcombinations, each feature or element can be used alone without theother features and elements or in various combinations with or withoutother features and elements. The methods or flow charts provided hereinmay be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmwareincorporated in a computer-readable storage medium for execution by ageneral purpose computer or a processor. Examples of computer-readablestorage mediums include a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory(RAM), a register, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magneticmedia such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-opticalmedia, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks, and digital versatiledisks (DVDs).

Suitable processors include, by way of example, a general purposeprocessor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, adigital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, amicrocontroller, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),application specific standard products (ASSPs), field programmable gatearrays (FPGAs) circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC),and/or a state machine.

A processor in association with software may be used to implement aradio frequency transceiver for use in a wireless transmit receive unit(WTRU), user equipment (UE), terminal, base station, mobility managemententity (MME) or evolved packet core (EPC), or any host computer. TheWTRU may be used in conjunction with modules, implemented in hardwareand/or software including a software defined radio (SDR), and othercomponents such as a camera, a video camera module, a videophone, aspeakerphone, a vibration device, a speaker, a microphone, a televisiontransceiver, a hands free headset, a keyboard, a Bluetooth® module, afrequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a near field communication (NFC)module, a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit, an organiclight-emitting diode (BLED) display unit, a digital music player, amedia player, a video game player module, an Internet browser, and/orany wireless local area network (WLAN) or ultra wide band (UWB) module.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU)comprising: a receiver configured to receive a management framecomprising very high throughput (VHT) capabilities information from anaccess point (AP), wherein the VHT capabilities information comprises anindication of support for reception via non-contiguous channels, anindication for support of multi-user multiple input multiple output(MU-MIMO) beamforming, and an indication for support of VHT linkadaptation; and a transmitter configured to transmit at least one datapacket to the AP via multiple non-contiguous channels on a conditionthat reception via non-contiguous channels is supported, wherein one ofthe multiple non-contiguous channels is a primary channel.
 2. The WTRUof claim 1, wherein VHT capabilities information further comprises anindication of support for a short guard interval (GI) for reception ofpackets with a channel bandwidth, an indication for a support of channelwidths supported, and an indication of whether the AP supports powersave mode.
 3. The WTRU of claim 2, wherein the channel bandwidth is 80MHz.
 4. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the VHT capabilities informationcomprises power control information.
 5. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein theVHT capabilities information comprises frequency reuse capabilities. 6.The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the non-contiguous channels are usedsimultaneously.
 7. The WTRU of claim 1 wherein each of thenon-contiguous channels is formed from a group of contiguous channels.8. A method of communicating very high throughput (VHT) capabilityinformation from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:receiving a management frame comprising VHT capabilities informationfrom an access point (AP), wherein the VHT capabilities informationcomprises an indication of support for reception via non-contiguouschannels, an indication for support of multi-user multiple inputmultiple output (MU-MIMO) beamforming, and an indication for support ofVHT link adaptation; and transmitting at least one data packet to the APvia multiple non-contiguous channels on a condition that reception vianon-contiguous channels is supported, wherein one of the multiplenon-contiguous channels is a primary channel.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein VHT capabilities information further comprises an indication ofsupport for a short guard interval (GI) for reception of packets with achannel bandwidth, an indication for a support of channel widthssupported, and an indication of whether the AP supports power save mode.10. The method of claim 9, wherein the channel bandwidth is 80 MHz. 11.The method of claim 8, wherein the VHT capabilities informationcomprises power control information.
 12. The method of claim 8, whereinthe VHT capabilities information comprises frequency reuse capabilities.13. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-contiguous channels are usedsimultaneously.
 14. The method of claim 8 wherein each of thenon-contiguous channels is formed from a group of contiguous channels.15. An access point (AP) comprising: a transmitter configured totransmit a management frame comprising very high throughput (VHT)capabilities information to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU),wherein the VHT capabilities information comprises an indication ofsupport for reception via non-contiguous channels, an indication forsupport of multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO)beamforming, and an indication for support of VHT link adaptation; and areceiver configured to receive, via multiple non-contiguous channels, atleast one data packet from the WTRU on a condition that reception vianon-contiguous channels is supported, wherein one of the multiplenon-contiguous channels is a primary channel.
 16. The AP of claim 15,wherein VHT capabilities information further comprises an indication ofsupport for a short guard interval (GI) for reception of packets with achannel bandwidth, an indication for a support of channel widthssupported, and an indication of whether the AP supports power save mode.17. The AP of claim 16, wherein the channel bandwidth is 80 MHz.
 18. TheAP of claim 15, wherein the VHT capabilities information comprises powercontrol information.
 19. The AP of claim 15, wherein the VHTcapabilities information comprises frequency reuse capabilities.
 20. TheAP of claim 15, wherein the non-contiguous channels are usedsimultaneously.
 21. The AP of claim 15, wherein each of thenon-contiguous channels is formed from a group of contiguous channels.22. A method of communicating very high throughput (VHT) capabilityinformation to an access point (AP), the method comprising: transmittinga management frame comprising very high throughput (VHT) capabilitiesinformation to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), wherein the VHTcapabilities information comprises an indication of support forreception via non-contiguous channels, an indication for support ofmulti-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) beamforming, and anindication for support of VHT link adaptation; and receiving, on acondition that reception via non-contiguous channels is supported, atleast one data packet from the WTRU via multiple non-contiguouschannels, wherein one of the multiple non-contiguous channels is aprimary channel.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein VHT capabilitiesinformation further comprises an indication of support for a short guardinterval (GI) for reception of packets with a channel bandwidth, anindication for a support of channel widths supported, and an indicationof whether the AP supports power save mode.
 24. The method of claim 23,wherein the channel bandwidth is 80 MHz.
 25. The method of claim 22,wherein the VHT capabilities information comprises power controlinformation.
 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the VHT capabilitiesinformation comprises frequency reuse capabilities.
 27. The method ofclaim 22, wherein the non-contiguous channels are used simultaneously.28. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the non-contiguous channelsis formed from a group of contiguous channels.